Access to land and rural poverty in developing countries: theory and evidence from Guatemala

The lack of consensus on the social and economic impact from access to land continues to generate heated political and academic debates. The existing empirical literature does not consider possible opportunity costs, factors that can affect this impact and different time horizons. Toward solving this problem, this article elaborates a theoretical argument on the potential benefits, opportunity costs and asset accumulation dynamics that may derive from gaining access to or increasing the size of rural land in developing countries. Empirical tests of the argument and poverty reduction assessment are then carried out using household data from Guatemala. Finally, policy and future research implications are derived.Access to land, rural poverty, off-farm income, Guatemala

Instituciones y desarrollo económico. Un marco conceptual

In recent years, there has been a plethora of econometric literature on the determinants of growth. However, the lack of a theory that integrates economic, political and cultural factors does not allow an adequate interpretation of these new results. This article proposes a conceptual framework that can facilitate the interpretation of these econometric results, reach some conclusions about political and economic institutions that favour development and the political problems that arise when modifications of the former are proposed.institutions, economic development, political economy of development

The relationship between institutions and economic development

The new paradigm in the field of International Cooperation is that institutions are the fundamental cause of long-run economic development. However, the lack of both a clear consensus on which are the specific institutions that promote development, and a theory that integrates economic, political and cultural aspects that lie behind these institutions, is making highly confusing to put this paradigm into practice. This essay reviews the academic literature, laying down a conceptual framework and the available empirical evidence on specific institutions, in order to understand which are these pro-growth institutions, and the political nature of the problem that entails trying to put them into practice.Institutions; Economic Development;

Promoting institutional development in the context of actual aid ineffectiveness: what can we do?

What is institutional development? How important is it? Which institutions promote development? Why they are not naturally implemented? How can we support them? These are the questions that this article tries to answer, based on the recent international literature on the topic, within the framework of current aid ineffectiveness.Institutional Development, Good Governance, Aid Effectiveness

Evaluating land administration systems: a comparative method with an application to Peru and Honduras

This article develops a methodology for the evaluation of land administration systems. We propose a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators with benchmarks for each one of them that signal possible venues to improve the administration’s structure and budgetary/management arrangements, in order to bring about the following goals: (1) to contribute to public sector financing through taxes; (2) to encourage the productive and sustainable use of land, and (3) to facilitate access to land for low-income citizens. This methodology was applied to the cases of Honduras and Peru in order to refine our draft evaluation indicators, while evaluating the systems of both countries. Here we present the final refined indicators and benchmarks, and the conclusions from both case studies.land administration systems; cadastre; evaluation; performance indicators

Instituciones y desarrollo económico. Un marco conceptual

En los últimos años ha habido una explosión de trabajos econométricos que intentan identificar los factores que determinan el desarrollo económico. No obstante, la falta de una teoría que integre los aspectos económicos, políticos y culturales hace muy confusa la interpretación de los resultados. Este artículo propone un marco conceptual que ayude a entender los resultados econométricos de la literatura en ciencias sociales, extraer algunas conclusiones sobre las instituciones políticas y económicas que promueven el desarrollo, y analizar los problemas políticos que surgen cuando se intenta modificar estas institucione

Eficacia y derechos humanos en la asignación de la ayuda al desarrollo del Gobierno de España

El Gobierno de España ha firmado los dos tratados internacionales existentes para mejorar la eficacia de su ayuda, la Declaración de París y la Agenda de Accra para la Acción. Uno de los compromisos más importantes asumidos en estos tratados consiste en otorgar la ayuda a los gobiernos, tanto en forma como en cantidad, en función de su grado de eficacia y transparencia en su gestión pública, y de su respeto y protección de los derechos humanos. A partir de los datos existentes de 2007 y 2008, este estudio ha podido constatar que el Gobierno no parece haber tomado en consideración ninguno de estos dos aspectos a la hora de asignar su ayuda a gobiernos receptores. Si bien en el nuevo Plan Director se establece como “prioridad horizontal” la “promoción de los derechos humanos y la gobernabilidad democrática”, no se sabe cómo y por qué motivos, el Gobierno otorga su ayuda a unos u otros actores

La relación entre las instituciones y el desarrollo económico de las naciones

The new paradigm in the field of International Cooperation is that institutions are the fundamental cause of long-run economic development. However, the lack of both a clear consensus on which are the specific institutions that promote development, and a theory that integrates economic, political and cultural aspects that lie behind these institutions, is making highly confusing to put this paradigm into practice. This essay reviews the academic literature, laying down a conceptual framework and the available empirical evidence on specific institutions, in order to understand which are these pro-growth institutions, and the political nature of the problem that entails trying to put them into practice

El desarrollo institucional en el contexto de la ineficacia de la ayuda: ¿qué podemos hacer?

What is institutional development? How important is it? Which institutions promote development? Why they are not naturally implemented? How can we support them? These are the questions that this article tries to answer, based on the recent international literature on the topic, within the framework of current aid ineffectiveness